


All Choked Up

by soixantesix



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal, National Public Radio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-08
Updated: 2012-02-08
Packaged: 2017-10-30 19:05:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/335071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soixantesix/pseuds/soixantesix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are timeless. I am a fool in love with time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Choked Up

_"You are timeless. I am a fool in love with time."_

            Steve and Tony usually have date night on Tuesday nights. Tuesdays are good because the paps don’t really like to go out on weeknights and statistically, crime almost never occurs on a Tuesday. It’s a stupid ritual that they like to do, but it’s healthy. So instead of laying low in the house, they’ll usually get a little dressed up and go see the newest action film ( _“I swear to God_ ,” _Tony said after they walk out of the latest Mission Impossible, “Tom Cruise really needs to keep his shirt on or I may or may not puke_ ) or go out to dinner (Steve’s come to love a restaurant called Balthazar on Spring St.), usually ending with a little night cap back at the Avengers mansion. Those Tuesday nights are always special to Steve and Tony, whether they’ll admit it or not. It’s those savory little moments that get them through a rough week of fighting or Fury chewing them out. It keeps them sane, until one Tuesday night, everything goes out the window.

~*~

            When the state of New York legalized gay marriage, the telephones at SHEILD and the Avengers mansions didn’t stop ringing for about 3 weeks. Everyone wanted to interview Captain America and Iron Man, to ask them if what their feelings about gay marriage were, and more importantly, when they were going to be tying the knot. Needless to say, both Steve and Tony turned down every single interview, save for one, Fresh Air with Terry Gross on NPR. Usually putting Steve and Tony in front of the press was a bad idea, especially with roving reporters like Christine Everhart trying to conjure up fake answers, but for Terry Gross they made an exception. Steve and Tony always listened to Fresh Air at 3PM or 7PM depending on how crime fighting was going that day, and when she had asked them on for the first time, they both decided that finally coming out to the public was the right thing to do. With Terry behind the wheel, they knew that the interview would be though provoking and enjoyable for both parties, so one Friday morning, they flew down to Philadelphia for their interview.

            During their interview, Terry asked all the big questions, like how the Avengers could actually get along after such a long time fighting together, how the government and SHEILD got along, and how line-up changes effected the Avengers as a whole. It wasn’t until the last few minutes of the interview when Terry kindly dropped the big question.

            “Steve, Tony, before you two go, I just wanted to know what your thoughts are on the legalization of gay marriage in New York. Last time you were on Fresh Air, you both came out and told us of your relationship. Are there any plans between you two?” Terry asked kindly and to the point. The two men looked at each other, speechless. While both had thought about it immensely, neither had discussed it with the other.

            “Um, well, we haven’t really discussed it yet…I mean, it’s had a great impact on the general morale of New Yorkers. Everyone’s really happy about it and I’m glad to say we are too. Right now we’re taking things…day by day,” Steve said, hesitantly at first but trying to make it about the greater good of New York.

            “Yeah, sorry, Ter,” Tony said, trying to act nonchalant, “We don’t have any juicy gossip for ya. But, hell, if two men want to get married, that’s their prerogative. Let ‘em do what they want; it’s their lives joining together and becoming one. I support it.”

            “Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, or shall I say Captain America and Iron Man, thanks for being on the program today.”

            “Thanks, Terry, it was a pleasure being back again,” Steve said, actually shaking her tiny hand across the recording booth.

            “I hope we’ll make it back again some time soon,” Tony said, giving her a silent salute.

~*~

            Needless to say, the jet ride back to the Avengers Mansion was a little bit tense. Neither Steve nor Tony said anything, just lots of quick glances to see who would speak first. Steve’s mind was running a mile a minute, Tony’s a marathon. All Steve could think was _Oh Goodness, I should probably propose. I always thought we’d get married, but I guess it just didn’t occur to do it now. I have to buy a ring and think of something convincing to say and get down on one knee and probably buy a new suit oh God._ Words can’t even begin to describe the amount of thoughts processing through the genius’s brain, but the main point was _Yes, I am going to propose. I already made the ring. I can charm the pants off him. This. Will. Work._

            As soon as they got home, they both rushed off in different directions, making plans for that Tuesday night. Steve took a car out of the garage and down to Tony’s tailor in SoHo and then to a jeweler to pick out a nice metal band. He’d decided on simple platinum band with two little rings engraved around the it, knowing that Tony wouldn’t always get the understated beauty of it, but seeing it himself. He knew that Tony could wear the band while tinkering and not have to worry about it getting too scratched or getting oil in the design. It was the simplicity in the band that made it efficient and perfect for Tony. Perhaps if Steve loved it enough, Tony would love it too.

            Tony, on the other hand, ran down into his workshop and opened a small, locked drawer in his toolbox. From this drawer, Tony pulled out a black velvet box with a handcrafted ring in it. Tony made just enough vibranium to make an engagement ring to fit Steve’s ring finger. It had three tiny diamonds embedded in it, a blue diamond on the left, a yellow diamond on the right, and a red one in the center. It was just enough to understand the melding of their colors into one union and not be gaudy at the same time. Tony looked at it once more, feeling his heart beating unusually fast. The thought of Steve actually wearing the ring made a tiny smile sneak out from Tony’s harsh visage. He couldn’t wait for that Tuesday evening when Tony would take Steve to Balthazar and woo him once more. He had JARVIS make the reservation and sat down to write and memorize his speech. He wasn’t going to mess this up.

~*~

That Friday night, Steve received a short text from Tony:

_Reservation @ Balthazar 8PM Tuesday._

Steve replied back:

_Can’t wait. We can get dessert at the bakery after._

And really he couldn’t wait and neither could Tony. Excitement beat in their hearts, unknowing of the others plan, but fully acknowledging that in a few short days, they might be making their commitment official.

~*~

“Is that a new suit? I like it, frames your muscles nicely. Can’t believe you actually went for a khaki suit though. Take’s guts.” Tony said as they sat down in the their favorite booth and the French bistro that made them feel like they were actually in Paris.

“Yeah, I bought it on Friday after we got back. The navy one was getting a little ratty, so I thought I’d spring for something different this time. I always like looking nice when we come here,” Steve said, nerves pouring out of his fingertips as he tapped them haphazardly on the table.

Tony ordered a $450 bottle of King Brut ’96 vintage champagne for the evening, hoping it would at least get him past the nervousness that flooded his body and make him feel confident enough in his proposal. After the waiter brought it out, he and Steve clinked glasses and he drank his entire glass in one pull. The waiter, with an alarmed look on his face, poured Tony another glass, noting again that, “this is one of our finest vintage champagnes. It’s great to _savor slowly_ with your meal.” Tony looked at him with pleading eyes and the waiter understood. They ordered a meal for two, Chateaubriand Roti with fingerling potato Lyonnais, and Swiss chard gratin. They ate their meal slowly, both wondering when would be the perfect time to perhaps get down on one knee and pop the question. The roast was cooked perfectly, the potatoes Lyonnais melted in their mouths, and the Swiss chard gratin was the perfect combination of cheese and butter. It left the two men both full but with an empty feeling in their stomachs. Tony took another long sip of his third glass of champagne and set the flute down, finally inebriated enough to let everything else fall to the wayside and make his proposal. But at that very moment, Steve spoke up.

“So, I was thinking a lot about us lately,” he said, his voice almost quivering. Tony recognized the fright in his voice, but it wasn’t anything he’d ever heard before.

“Yeah, me too. After that Fresh Air interview…” Tony said, his voice trailing off and realizing that his voice shook just as much as Steve’s. He grabbed at his champagne flute again; he needed another drink.

“I want to ask you something,” Steve said after a long inhale. Tony put the flute down.

“Wait…I want to ask you something first,” Tony said getting a little annoyed. Steve was not going to ruin his perfectly planned proposal.

“No, that’s not how this works. We each take our turns speaking. Didn’t you learn that in kindergarten? Let me ask first,” Steve said, the annoyance at Tony becoming seemingly apparent.

“Nope. Nope. Nope. Not doing that. I need to ask you this, it’s vital,” Tony said. “God, Steve, this is, like, deathly important.” He tried to make it seem like his question was more pressing than Steve’s, and it didn’t even register in him that maybe Steve was trying to do the same exact thing that as him.

“How about on three we just say it, okay?” Steve said trying to compromise. Sometimes he had to resort to preschool tactics in order to get Tony to comply.

“Fine…I’ll count to three. Wait. No. Get the waiter he’ll do it,” Tony said. He may have been acting like a five year old, but maybe compromising and putting himself on an even playing field with Steve would help him get his way. The waiter sauntered over and began counting to three.

“One…two…three.”

“WILL YOU MARRY ME?” The two shouted at each other. They both stopped awe of the question posed by both of them. Steve started wringing his napkin, so confused about what to do. Tony spoke up first.

“No. No. That is not how this is supposed to happen. I was supposed to get down on one knee and you were supposed to take it like a man,” Tony said, an air of anger in his voice that his perfect proposal wasn’t turning out the way it was supposed to.

“No, I was supposed to get down on one knee and make the proposal. You were supposed to cry and everything and it was supposed to be happy. I don’t get it…” Steve said, a little sad that, like Tony, his proposal wasn’t turning out as he’d hoped. He hadn’t even been able to show Tony the ring.

“Steve, this is _emasculating._ You’re making me feel like a woman,” Tony said and crossed his arms in a huff.

“Don’t even go there, Tony, you love being emasculated.” Steve rolled his eyes.

“ _Not in public!_ ” Tony almost shouted. The two continued to bicker over the botched proposals until the waiter ran away and came back with the rest of the Avengers who were hiding out in the bakery next door. Tony and Steve were too busy fighting to see them almost run in until Thor picked up the half-full bottle of champagne and smashed it against the table. Glass shattered everywhere and the golden champagne spilled on the table and the floor.

“WHY ARE THOU QUARRELING ON SUCH A SPLENDID OCCASION? STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY.” Thor’s voice boomed throughout the restaurant, causing everyone to go silent.

“Oh my GOD, THOR. THAT WAS A $450 BOTTLE OF VINTAGE CHAMPAGNE,” Tony shouted at him, “I would’ve gotten sufficiently trashed on that!” Steve looked embarrassed and grabbed Tony’s hand.

“Tony, I think we’ve lost sight of why we’re here in the first place…you know…to get engaged?” Steve said with the puppy dog look in his eyes, the look that upon sight of it caused Tony to completely melt.

“Oh, God, you’re right, Steve. I’m so, so sorry,” Tony said, grabbing Steve’s free hand.

“I think you two had something you wanted to ask each other?” Pepper said quietly. “I think we’d all like to hear what you have to say.” Steve looked up at everyone standing in front of him, Pepper, Natasha, Bruce, Clint, Coulson, of course Thor, and even Nick Fury was there, and looked back at Tony and said, “You can go first this time,” and smiled. Tony drank the last of the champagne that was in his flute and then subsequently drank the rest of Steve’s. He pulled a little paper out of his pocket and started to read, still holding onto Steve’s right hand.

“Steve, when we first me, I almost, no, I actually hated you. You were the object of my father’s attention and you’re my exact opposite. Maybe I was bitter because I felt so alone for the vast majority of my life.” He looked up at Pepper and sighed, but all she did was smile at him, knowing this was right. He continued, “But I guess that’s not the point. The point I’m trying to make is that we’re still opposites, but for some reason, that neither science nor I can deduce, it works. I’ve never felt more together in my life now that you’re here. I love that you don’t swear, when I curse like a sailor. I love that you still can’t understand how to use your cellphone, even though it makes you really hard to contact when I might need you most. You’re old fashioned; I’m the one creating the technology that still freaks you out. I think what I’m trying to say is this: You are timeless. I am a fool in love with time. But I believe in us and I, even more so, believe in you. I was just wondering if you wouldn’t mind keeping this whole thing going.” Tony took what felt like the longest breath of his life and finally asked, “Will you marry me?”

Steve took his free hand and grabbed at the napkin in his lap, dabbing at the tears forming in his eyes. He knew Tony wasn’t eloquent, but that speech had sent him into a tizzy. He’d never felt any more love for Tony than at that point in the restaurant. He chuckled a bit and said, “Sorry, I’m getting all choked up.” Pepper patted him on the shoulder and prompted him to begin his speech.

“Okay,” he paused for another deep breath, “Wooh! Okay my turn.” Steve pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pants pocket and began.

“Tony, when I woke up from what my doctors like to call ‘the big sleep’, I didn’t want to interact with anyone because they babied me. They always wanted to know if the temperature was all right or if I was doing okay. You were the only person who was blunt enough with me to not care. At first, we clashed, but we challenged each other and you made me better. You brought me into this century and…and you helped me heal, which is one of the reasons why I fell in love with you.” Steve picked up the napkin again to dab at his eyes. He always got emotional when he talked about waking up after 70 years of being asleep, always missing those who had lived out their lives in peace without him. He put the napkin down and started again, “You’re fickle, proud, and so, so smart, but you’re still so tender, considerate, and just genuinely loving. Bucky once told me that I was a ‘One True Love’ guy, that I’d find that one dame and love her forever. I didn’t exactly find a dame,” Tony chuckled lightly, “but I found you and I know I can love you forever. So, Anthony Edward Stark, will you marry me?”

Tony lunged across the table, grabbing Steve’s face and kissing him hard and fast in front of the entire crowd. Everyone cheered and clapped, so ecstatic for the two men who were so obviously in love with each other.

“I’m going to go ahead and say that since you both proposed to each other, you’re accepting the proposals,” Pepper said smiling. She wiped at her eyes with the black sleeve of her blazer, unable to hold back the utter joy she felt for the both Steve and Tony.

“Oh wait, the ring!” Tony shouted and pulled the black velvet box out of his breast pocket. Steve pulled a red leather box out of his breast pocket as well, excited to show Tony the ring. They opened up the boxes to show each other, each hearing gasps come from the growing crowd around their corner booth.

“Oh my God, Steve, this is beautiful.” Steve slid the platinum band onto Tony’s left ring finger. “It’s so…perfect. Simply designed and with no room to go wrong. Is this platinum? Shit, Steve, this…this is perfect. Thank you so much,” Tony said, ogling at the beautifully understated ring on his finger. _He gets it_ , Steve thought, _he actually gets it._

Tony pulled the vibranium ring out of the black velvet box to show Steve and he almost started tearing up too. He slid the ring onto Steve’s left ring finger as well, making sure to note how special it is.

“Okay, so this ring is actually made out of the same material as your shield. It’s vibranium, but you already knew that. And um…I put the red diamond in the center because we both wear that color. I hope it’s not too much,” Tony said, grinning from ear to ear.

“Did you make extra vibranium for this ring?! Does this mean it’ll never get ruined no matter what? Tony, this is absolutely perfect thank you so very much. Words can’t even begin to describe the kind of elation I’m feeling right now.” And Tony knew it. He could barely put into words how happy he was and how high he felt just from knowing that they would love each other forever. They kissed again and everyone sat back down in their seats. The rest of the Avengers grabbed the table next to the newly engaged couple and Tony ordered crème brûlées for everyone on him. Tony and Steve held hands for the rest of the meal and all the way back home to the Avengers mansion, where the two men held each other tight until daybreak.

~*~

Friday afternoon, Steve and Tony were out to a picnic lunch in Central Park, when they realized it was almost three o’clock. Tony put his sandwich down and grabbed a small radio out of the picnic basket and turned it to WNYC.

“Last week, we had Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, otherwise known to the world as Captain America and Iron Man, respectively, on the show. I’m excited to announce that I received a phone call early Wednesday morning from Captain Rogers, alerting me that He and Mr. Stark had gotten engaged the night before. They have not set a date but are planning on marrying next fall. Congratulations. I’m Terry Gross, and you’re listening to Fresh Air.” 

**Author's Note:**

> 1) The title, the little quotation at the beginning of the fic, and much of Tony’s speech are inspired by and from the title and lyrics from the Say Anything song [All Choked Up](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCFHwoOObJk) on their Baseball EP. I don’t think you can download it (it’s one of their really old songs), but it’s definitely on youtube for your listening pleasure. It’s about 8 minutes of mental illness and heartbreak induced beautiful music. It might be my favorite song by them, in fact.  
> 2) This started out as a headcanon that I was going to send to Betty (djinndreaming on tumblr) in her ask box because that’s what we do, but it ended up getting too long and thus, this fic was born.  
> 3) [Balthazar](http://balthazarny.com/) is a real restaurant! I went there when I was in NYC after I graduated from high school, and it’s FANTASTIC. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes French Bistro food and is willing to pay a little more for great quality food.  
> 4) I don’t know if you can tell, but I am a HUGE NPR fan. I grew up listening to Terry Gross on Fresh Air back in the days before it was a national program and only aired in Philadelphia. I, for some reason, think Tony would actually despise National Public Radio, but Steve loves it so he makes due. Anyway, if anyone’s interested, NPR broadcasts online and you can download Fresh Air as a podcast in the iTunes store. Go support public radio!


End file.
